Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, the annual Kacey Lynn Halloween dance was held in my riding. The story of the Kacey Lynn fund is one of great inspiration.
Kacey Lynn was a 5-year-old girl who battled cancer for four and a half years. The financial hardship this illness placed on her family brought the attention of the community to the need for a program to help with families in similar situations.
In 1995, a trust fund was established in Kacey-Lynn's name to assist her family and other families in Welland, Port Colborne and Pelham. This program has expanded and now assists families with sick or disabled children in all other areas of the Niagara region through the HOPE Centre. Funds for the program are made possible through local fundraisers held during the year.
The Kacey Lynn committee is also moving in other directions through its assistance for prevention and recreational programs for well children.
The Kacey Lynn fund is a great example of the amazing things communities can accomplish when they come together. I would like to recognize them today and thank all the volunteers for their years of hard work, especially Mary and Jim Dolan, for their tireless efforts since its inception.